Matching Items (154)
Description
Basketball is considered one of the most progressive and innovative sports in the world. As such, the NCAA, NBA, and G League are constantly searching for ways to increase their global reach and increase their viewership. With the telecommunications industry seeing a decrease in overall customers who pay for monthly or yearly cable services, the sports industry is feeling pressure to keep viewers in a culture where “cutting the chord” is becoming a trend. However, the sports industry is one field that continues to drive viewership through their live cable broadcasts each year. All three leagues, which represent the college level, the minor league level, and the professional level, look to differentiate their broadcasts in the marketplace and experiment with different elements to attract new viewers and engage existing viewers. In the past, leagues and networks have experimented with streaming services, camera angles, mic’d up players and coaches, and augmented reality to demonstrate offensive and defensive sets. While both the college level and professional level have had limited issues in developing a loyal broadcast audience and attracting new viewers, the minor league (commonly known as the G League) has faced more challenges to grow. The problems the G League face with building their digital audience include competing seasons with both College Basketball and the NBA, disparaging perceptions that the games and players are not as interesting to watch, limited and expensive cable broadcast availability, and lack of fan affinity. Although these are challenges that the G League faces, the upcoming league has experienced success with year-over-year growth since its birth in 2001. Each year, the G League has increased the number of games broadcasted on traditional cable networks, and as a result, increased viewership. The blossoming league has a lot of potential, especially now that players can enter the G League directly out of high school, so capitalizing on opportunities to not only differentiate itself amongst other minor leagues, but also amongst other basketball leagues will be imperative to increase its fan base.
The purpose of this research is three-fold: to understand how people consume sports broadcasts, what levels of basketball they watch most frequently, and what elements of a sports broadcast they prefer or wish to implement. Aside from understanding consumption behaviors, this research further explores specifically how the G League can increase viewership, whether it’s experimenting with rule changes, implementing new broadcast elements, or creating off-court content that develops interest and affinity for players in the league. What the data and statistical tests concluded was that people who were classified as ‘G League Fans’ are generally fans of all levels of basketball, but that people who were classified as ‘College Basketball Fans’ or ‘NBA Fans’ were not necessarily fans of the G League. Based on this finding, the thesis provides recommendations for how the G League can increase viewership amongst basketball fans, as this will be its most receptive and impressionable group. For those unfamiliar with what the G League is, the thesis also provides a brief history and who the players are that make up the league.
The purpose of this research is three-fold: to understand how people consume sports broadcasts, what levels of basketball they watch most frequently, and what elements of a sports broadcast they prefer or wish to implement. Aside from understanding consumption behaviors, this research further explores specifically how the G League can increase viewership, whether it’s experimenting with rule changes, implementing new broadcast elements, or creating off-court content that develops interest and affinity for players in the league. What the data and statistical tests concluded was that people who were classified as ‘G League Fans’ are generally fans of all levels of basketball, but that people who were classified as ‘College Basketball Fans’ or ‘NBA Fans’ were not necessarily fans of the G League. Based on this finding, the thesis provides recommendations for how the G League can increase viewership amongst basketball fans, as this will be its most receptive and impressionable group. For those unfamiliar with what the G League is, the thesis also provides a brief history and who the players are that make up the league.
ContributorsWhisler, Melanie Joy (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Major League Baseball (MLB) is home to the oldest sports fans out of the top major sports with 50% of their viewers 55 or older (Paul, 2017). To try and reverse this trend, the MLB has been experimenting with advanced technology to create various ticket programs that appeal to younger people; one of them being the Summer Pass. The pass has allowed casual and die-hard fan groups to purchase a monthly/season long subscription to attend as many home games for one flat rate. While current fans praise the concept of the Summer Pass, teams need to find a way to expand their fan base by influencing young, non-sport fans to start showing up to games. It is imperative for teams to expand their fan base by converting non-fans to fans, especially to a younger generation because of the customer lifetime value (CLV) they can bring to the team. According to Qualtrics, CLV is a measurement of how valuable a customer is to your company with an unlimited time span as opposed to just the first purchase (Qualtrics, 2019). Converting non-fans to fans at a younger age will improve the fan base by maintaining a stream of loyal fans. The Arizona Diamondbacks are fortunate enough to play in a city next to one of the largest college’s in the nation. Unfortunately, college students attending Arizona State University aren’t baseball fans. The Student Pass could be a cheap, efficient way to influence college students to attend Diamondbacks games in their free time.
To see what will influence people who aren’t fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks to start attending games, data was collected from students attending Arizona State University and they were categorized into different clusters based on their fan status. These clusters were analyzed based on the different levels of fandom each student identified as. The analysis found that students who aren’t sports fans are disinterested in purchasing the Student Pass to attend Diamondbacks games. Including Student Pass bundles with either a t-shirt, food credit voucher, or collectible/bobblehead will not influence their decision to attend Arizona Diamondbacks games. Implications of this study provide the next possible steps for the Arizona Diamondbacks and other MLB teams to use alternative measures that could potentially influence non-fans to attend games in hopes of them becoming a fan.
With hopes of increasing attendance rates through college students, a survey was created to target students at Arizona State University to determine how aware students are of the D-Backs Student Pass; and to offer a solution of how to increase attendance by penetrating Generation Z. The results from this study are intended to identify the different fan types at Arizona State University. A summary of key findings says:
1. Including ticket bundles as options for the Student Pass will not influence non-sports or Diamondbacks fans to attend games
2. Diehard Devin are willing to spend more on ticket bundles than the other fan groups that attend Diamondbacks games
3. The most popular ticket option is a $2 ticket to a Friday game
To see what will influence people who aren’t fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks to start attending games, data was collected from students attending Arizona State University and they were categorized into different clusters based on their fan status. These clusters were analyzed based on the different levels of fandom each student identified as. The analysis found that students who aren’t sports fans are disinterested in purchasing the Student Pass to attend Diamondbacks games. Including Student Pass bundles with either a t-shirt, food credit voucher, or collectible/bobblehead will not influence their decision to attend Arizona Diamondbacks games. Implications of this study provide the next possible steps for the Arizona Diamondbacks and other MLB teams to use alternative measures that could potentially influence non-fans to attend games in hopes of them becoming a fan.
With hopes of increasing attendance rates through college students, a survey was created to target students at Arizona State University to determine how aware students are of the D-Backs Student Pass; and to offer a solution of how to increase attendance by penetrating Generation Z. The results from this study are intended to identify the different fan types at Arizona State University. A summary of key findings says:
1. Including ticket bundles as options for the Student Pass will not influence non-sports or Diamondbacks fans to attend games
2. Diehard Devin are willing to spend more on ticket bundles than the other fan groups that attend Diamondbacks games
3. The most popular ticket option is a $2 ticket to a Friday game
ContributorsBurton, Amani (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The project explores how the school of Digital Culture at Arizona State University can create an online marketing video through an attempt in making such a video and a deep research into online video marketing. The first half of the project encompasses an attempt in making a video only using footage captured within Digital Culture from the four years. Using techniques widely used in the media industry, the footage is put together to market the school of Digital Culture. The second half of the project researches how such a video can be created by investigating how an online video stands out with the tools of viral content, rich information, emotional arousal and video construction. Then applies the research to the online marketing videos for college recruiting. Observations of current successful online college marketing videos are made in attempt to document the successful and unsuccessful techniques. The videos used from the University of Oregon. Butler University, and Boston College. After all the research in how an online marketing video stands out and observing the current success of online college videos, then the information learned is then applied to the school of Digital Culture. Now an array of tools, techniques and options are given in how the school of Digital Culture can create an online marketing video for the program.
ContributorsRempel, Ezekiel G (Author) / Tinapple, David (Thesis director) / Moran, Stacey (Committee member) / Arts, Media and Engineering Sch T (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
In order to establish sustainable parity in competition year over year, all four major professional sports organizations in the United States have established a first-year draft with an order decided or influenced by their Win-Loss record the previous year. The assumption is that this draft structure should keep all teams competitive. Rather, there is an overwhelming shift to analytical problem-solving that suggests building a winning team requires a period of losing and collecting young talent. The separation has become so apparent that it has been referred to as, “Twelve teams a-tanking.” (Boras, 2018) The trend was so pronounced this last season that the seven worst teams that held their own pick all lost by more than 15 points in the span of two days.(Sheinin, 2018) This leaves the ratio of games with a 15 point or more point differential to that of less than 15 points was 8:9 on the date described by Sheinin, as opposed to the usual ratio of 2:5 for the rest of the season. This stretch of games occurred during a pivotal time in the season and should have garnered high interest for entertainment as teams grapple for playoff position heading into the post season. Instead, viewers were treated to seven blow-out games. In this thesis, the effects of tanking will be studied as it pertains to the NBA, as a whole, losing attendance in multiple aspects. This applies directly to the value of sponsorships in the NBA. In short, this thesis will answer three of questions; (1) How does expected point spread, which is highly affected by tanking, affect NBA attendance, of all teams, down the stretch of games? (2) How can the NBA protect its sponsors from the effects of tanking? (3) How can NBA sponsors protect themselves from the effects of tanking?
ContributorsThomas, Isaiah (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
There is a somewhat contentious phrase that says, “There is no such thing as user error, only bad design.” While it could be considered an exaggeration, this phrase sparks a discussion about the importance of good user interface design. These types of designs are integrated into our daily lives, influencing every interaction we have with the world around us. This project combines research and design to create a prototype interface utilizing the principles of effective, user-friendly design.
ContributorsHorvath, Sarah Kallista (Author) / Perez-Fox, Prescott (Thesis director) / Squire, Susan (Committee member) / Arts, Media and Engineering Sch T (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The National Hockey League is the highest league of hockey in the world. They have the highest attendance percentage out of the four major sports in North America (National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball). However, the NHL is lacking insurmountably in the media rights revenue space compared to these other three major sports leagues in the United States. This paper is designed to find innovative solutions to remedy this problem, by incorporating the new Puck and Player Tracking technology into the television and streaming broadcasts. We first identified the core values of fans and their consumption habits and behaviors. We obtained an interview with the Senior Hockey Writer for ESPN, Greg Wyshynski, on the development and implementation of Puck and Player Tracking technology. From there, we created a survey to gauge the consumer perception of the Puck and Player Tracking technology, which allowed us to perform analytical tests to determine the best possible implementation strategy for the PPT technology into broadcasts. Using statistical testing methods, we identified that survey respondents found the least invasive augmented broadcast element was a small, gray puck trail displayed on the ice. From these findings, we proposed that the ideal implementation of the Puck and Player Tracking technology into television broadcasts should feature this element in all future traditional NHL television broadcasts and the player statistical broadcast should be offered as a second screen streamed broadcast. This implementation, compounded with other factors in the upcoming NHL media rights negotiations, creates a more valuable television product, which in turn will lead to a more competitive media rights deal.
ContributorsDiluchio, Ryan Patrick (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Sports have always incited an emotional response in fans unlike anything else and creates a special relationship between fans and their favorite sports team. However, in the current age, attendance numbers have started to fall, due to games being available on multiple platforms for viewers to watch in their own homes, along with the increased competition in the entertainment industry. Teams are seeking new ways to leverage that relationship with their fans in order to draw fans into their games. This study will look at the history of fandom and reasons why people remain loyal to “their team” year after year. In turn, fan loyalty and increased attendance translates to increased revenue for teams across all sports. As part of this study, existing literature was reviewed covering the following areas of fandom: fan loyalty, memory association, and team actions that will impact fans. This research will aid in developing hypotheses to test on why fans remain fans and how their fan dedication develops. A questionnaire was then developed to find the reason why a fan is so dedicated to their favorite team. Respondents are asked to self- identify as a fan type in order to quantify the label of “fan” and build a deeper analysis within the questions being asked. The three fan options are diehard, casual and social fans. The following analysis explored why people are fans and what factors influence their level of fan loyalty. From that, recommendations were developed for professional sports teams to take advantage of the factors found in the analysis. The hope is that they will be able to translate psychological factors and an emotional connection into a concrete strategy to drive ticket sales and revenue.
ContributorsTassinari, Isabella (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
As the prevalence of augmented reality (AR) technology continues to increase, so too have methods for improving the appearance and behavior of computer-generated objects. This is especially significant as AR applications now expand to territories outside of the entertainment sphere and can be utilized for numerous purposes encompassing but not limited to education, specialized occupational training, retail & online shopping, design, marketing, and manufacturing. Due to the nature of AR technology, where computer-generated objects are being placed into a real-world environment, a decision has to be made regarding the visual connection between the tangible and the intangible. Should the objects blend seamlessly into their environment or purposefully stand out? It is not purely a stylistic choice. A developer must consider how their application will be used — in many instances an optimal user experience is facilitated by mimicking the real world as closely as possible; even simpler applications, such as those built primarily for mobile devices, can benefit from realistic AR. The struggle here lies in creating an immersive user experience that is not reliant on computationally-expensive graphics or heavy-duty models. The research contained in this thesis provides several ways for achieving photorealistic rendering in AR applications using a range of techniques, all of which are supported on mobile devices. These methods can be employed within the Unity Game Engine and incorporate shaders, render pipelines, node-based editors, post-processing, and light estimation.
ContributorsSchanberger, Schuyler Catherine (Author) / LiKamWa, Robert (Thesis director) / Jayasuriya, Suren (Committee member) / Arts, Media and Engineering Sch T (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The first chapter of the Seattle SuperSonics’ story is one full of pride, including a championship run in the 1970s, being one of the most popular teams of the 1990s, along with having an incredibly loyal fan base. The next chapter of that story is one filled with painful memories for those same loyal fans. In 2008, the team was stripped away from Seattle, eventually landing in Oklahoma City, leaving countless people heartbroken and a gaping hole in the professional sports landscape. For some people, that removal was where the story ended; for many, however, that was just the end of another chapter. The movement to bring the SuperSonics back to the city and their beloved fans began the day after the team left town, and has been going strong ever since. While the voices of fans cry out for a return, many critics say that a new team would no longer be able to flourish in Seattle, and that the NBA should stand pat where they are. This project seeks to determine the truth to that statement by investigating one central question: Should the Seattle SuperSonics be brought back to life? The question is viewed through a pair of perspectives over the course of this paper. The first is based in business, where I completed a thorough analysis that covers five major factors that are crucial to determining success. The second is that of the fans, which was accessed through a survey created to figure out what truly was important to them when looking at a new team. After these perspectives have been examined, the project will turn to the debate that asks which form of reentry would be more efficient for a rebuild: league expansion or relocation of a current franchise. I feel as though this topic is one that should be more well known across the realm of sports, and wanted to shine a light on it through this process. No fan would ever want to experience the kind of loss that comes with their favorite team being taken away, and I believe that acknowledging past failures can help leagues make better decisions in the future.
ContributorsKoufidakis, Nicholas (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The Arizona Fall League is a baseball league affiliated with Major League Baseball to provide further development to seven of each MLB team’s top minor league prospects. The games are played at the same stadiums as spring training in Arizona but historically draw a very low attendance in comparison. The marketing strategies currently used to promote and advertise the Arizona Fall League are not sufficient to meet the goal of increased attendance and increased profits as a result. The league currently markets its core product to the customer, meaning the actual baseball game itself along with the highly talented players, rather than the actual product provided to fans, meaning the social utility they gain from their experiences at an Arizona Fall League game along with the game. The league needs to focus mainly on two target markets: men and women ages 18-25 and families with children under 18. In order to shift the focus to the actual product, the league’s marketing staff should run promotions (alongside their current promotions) in association with local sports bars or restaurants and places that provide entertainment, such as Top Golf. They also should revamp their social media accounts to integrate a more fan-focused base for their posts, making fans feel like they are a greater part of the experience. These improvements would drive up attendance and generate more profits for the Arizona Fall League.
ContributorsMcCann, Matthew Donald (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05